A Whole, New Team

For the Next Generation.

What happened on Sunday is by far the greatest personal tragedy that I’ve ever faced in my entire life. The reason why I’m calling this a personal tragedy is because nearly a decade ago in 2010 I had one opportunity of a lifetime to meet Kobe Bryant and personally get to know him.

I want to briefly share who I felt he was as a player and as a person, and hopefully express what that impression has left on me. Just like we all share a grief in losing him, we all share an even more powerful love and admiration for what he did not only for the game of basketball, but also for the whole world.

If there’s one thing that Kobe Bryant has taught me through my personal relationship with him as a basketball player, it’s that it isn’t enough to have a natural gift from God, you have to be willing to do more and go further.

You have to be able to find the glory in not only giving it all you’ve got, but also in giving back to others. No better way did Kobe demonstrate this than in the way that he was so willing to give himself to the girls basketball world after his professional career ended. The true tragedy surrounding Sunday’s event was that Kobe had a whole new lifetime of more giving left inside him. Our challenge now is to collectively fill that massive void. 

This is the new team that he has created for us. 

I know we all learned this difficult lesson last Sunday by the anguish we felt, but I want to stress to everyone again: you must understand how important the gift of life is, and how precious it is. We must depend on each other in order to keep the competitive spirit alive. 

We are a community: the parents, the coaches, the players. We will be challenged in different ways. It’s time for us all to mutually step up and accept the Mamba Challenge.

To all the parents in the stands: Think about Kobe Bryant as a role model for how you as a parent can help mold and fuel your child’s passions, especially for sports. 

I would like to challenge us coaches to adopt a new “mamba mentality” in terms of strategies. Become engaged in the game like the ultimate player coach himself Kobe Bryant was. 

But most of all, I want to speak to you girls who are about to step on the court as players. I give you this ultimate challenge: think about Gianna, Alyssa and Payton all being here at the game, watching in the stands. They live through you now. Think about all the missed opportunities that they won’t have that you have right now. Be sad that they don’t have them. But be glad that you do. Take control of your new game, and pay careful attention to the seconds and minutes that slowly tick by, because they mean something. Be grateful. Be the best you can be. Remind yourself about the passion and dedication these three young girls had to be better, and be like them.

The best way to honor their legacy is by building a new one for yourself and for others around you.

Ask yourself: Would Gianna, Alyssa and Payton be proud of my performance tonight?

Most of all, please remember this one thing: your playing time on the court, just like your time on this earth, is precious and limited.

Candice Wiggins gives a Kobe Bryant Tribute Testimony speech before Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's "Purple & Gold Game" January 30, 2020.

Click here to read a prayer for the 9 souls